The present invention relates to electrical connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to electrical connectors utilized in inaccessible locations requiring self-alignment.
The need for mating connectors is well known in the electronics and electrical art. It is common to provide mating connectors wherein one or both halves of the connector are permanently mounted to a larger piece of hardware, such as a chassis, a panel or rack insert, or a component board. Often these parts will contain a number of connector halves which must be simultaneously aligned while installing and mounting the major component. Due to the size or configuration of the components, the connections often have to be made blind. When electrical connections are made blind, the connectors must be self-aligning to assure proper orientation and intimate electrical connection.
When a number of connectors are included on a single component, slight manufacturing intolerances can lead to misalignment of connectors. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a somewhat resilient connector which can accommodate minor misalignment.
A number of two-part electrical connectors have been proposed, in the prior art, which deal with certain aspects of the problems associated with the blind mating of connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,748 to Takes teaches a co-axial connector for use in rack and panel equipment. Only the plug portion of the Takes connector is spring mounted, while the receptacle portion remains rigidly mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,828 to Gregson teaches an RF connector for utilization in a plug-in subunit chassis. Gregson teaches unique mounting configurations allowing for easy connection and removal of co-axial cables.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,940 to Weinstock teaches a self-aligning co-axial connector which utilizes brush contacts to maintain proper electrical connection in misalignment situations. Gregoire U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,089 teaches a resilient socket connector having a unique sealing means when engaged in an operative position. McCormick, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,669, teaches an electrical connector electro-structural coupling assembly. The structure of McCormick is utilized to interconnect a plurality of subassemblies. Soviet Patent No. SU 1,064,360A teaches an electrical coupler having both pin and socket members mounted in spring-biased cups attached to separate housings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,765 to Neumann teaches the use of a metal bellows to provide an electro-magnetic radiation shield for a resiliently-mounted socket portion of a connector. The socket portion of the connector is provided with a resilient mounting to allow for axial misalignment of a pin member rigidly connected to separate major components. Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,862, teaches the spring-biased mounting of a plug member for mating with a rigidly-mounted socket portion of an electrical connector.
None of the connectors taught in the prior art provide totally independently-alignable contacts, wherein the center and sheath conductors of a coaxial connector are independently self-aligning. The prior art does not provide a connector able to adapt to accommodate a full broad range of misalignment situations.